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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Great Resume Tips for Freelancers

Freelancers may think resumes just aren’t their style. Many freelancers feel they are more creative than what can be shown on a boring white sheet of paper, but nonetheless, resumes are still the best way to portray your skills and who you are to potential clients. They are a must for everyone in every field. As a freelancer, you may be rolling your eyes at the thought of a resume because you have kissed the corporate ladder goodbye. But, a resume will give clients a full view of your abilities.

You need to keep a current resume. If you don’t have one, create one, and if you do have one, keep it updated. Keep in mind that the resume of a freelancer does look a little different than a resume of a recent college graduate seeking their first real job. So, here are a few ways to make sure your freelance resume is relevant and top notch.

Create a Profile

A freelancer’s resume should not state an objective. Instead, it should provide a profile. What services do you offer? What skills do you have? What makes you a good choice for the prospective client? Your resume should introduce you to clients and give them a clear, in-depth picture of everything you provide.

List Skills

In addition to a profile of services, highlight your skills and area of expertise. The resume is selling you and your services. Do yourself justice. Include all the skills you have that are relevant to your freelance work. List the skills and a brief description of what that skill means to a client.

Experience

A traditional resume will list a history of work experience, even if a job isn’t necessarily in the same field. A freelancer’s resume does not do this. A freelancer is hired for one specific job and experience in that area is all that matters to potential clients. Only list relevant experience.

Highlight all experience in your field. If you are a photographer, for example, list family, newborn, landscape, maternity, wedding, event, stock and any other type of photography you have experience in. It is not relevant to list work experience that is not in photography.

List Clients

As a freelancer, name-dropping can really work in your favor. Include a list of your big, high-profile clients on your resume. Potential clients are interested in knowing who else you have done work with. A list of former clients can give you more credibility and add a more professional tone to your resume.

Provide Work Samples

Listing your skills is great, but clients like to see them in action. Examples of your freelance work are a must. Your resume should include your website address or a link to your portfolio. Don’t make a potential employer track down your work. Create a portfolio of your best work. Let them see examples of freelance work you have done for other companies.

About the Author

Linda Hildebrant is the Associate Director of Internet Marketing at Resume.com where you can view resume examples and post your resume online for free. Linda’s two favorite past times when not at work are shopping and traveling, and she prefers to do them together!